29 June 2012

Yangon: Vietnam got their first win when they thrashed the Philippines 9-0 on match day 3 of the AFC U-22 Championship Group G qualifiers in Yangon on Thursday.

The Filipinos did not have a chance with the Lu Dinh Tuan-led side very much in total control of both halves with four of their players having scored a brace each.

Nguyen Dinh Bao opened the scoring after 18 minutes and added his second in the 67th minute, with MH Quan (25th, 27th minutes), Ngo Hoang Thinh (30th, 52nd), substitute Le Quoc Phuong (64th, 89th) and HV Thanh (82nd), also a substitute, adding to the tally.

In earlier games, Vietnam lost 2-1 to Chinese Taipei and 3-1 to Myanmar and are now at fifth position while John Pomar Carmona’s winless side are residing at the bottom of the group.

An own goal by Chen Yen-jui helped Malaysia win 4-2 over Chinese Taipei in their rainy match with Malaysian midfielder Rozaimi Abdul Rahman getting in a brace in the 8th and 41st minutes, while Saarvindran Devandrn put the third touch for the Malaysia Tigers in the 78th minute.

The Chen Jiunn-ming-led side tried to get back with contributions by Lin Chang-lun after 50 minutes and Wen Chih-hao who scored during extra time but it proved a little too late for the East Asians.

With their latest performance, the Malaysians jumped to third spot from fourth, the latter position taken over by Chinese Taipei.

In the third match in the group, group leaders Korea Republic drew 0-0 with second-positioned Myanmar, with both teams having accumulated seven points, with goal difference separating them.
Next matches this Saturday

Gosh, I almost forgot about an e-mail sent to me by an avid fan of the United Football League’s Loyola Meralco Sparks some weeks ago.

Good thing I saw Aly Borromeo and Phil Younghusband on television where they were the guests of the PBA coverage.

The topic that triggered my memory was the Singapore Cup where Loyola-Meralco represented the Philippines and won.

* * *

“As a football fan, there are two reasons for me to be very ecstatic and proud to be Filipino,” wrote Jerry Sison of North Fairview. “First is the incredible rise of the Philippine Azkals, both here and abroad. Second is the fantastic performance of Loyola Meralco in the 2012 Singapore Cup where they triumphed, 2-1, over the formidable Geylang United FC in their opening match.”

According to Jerry, this is the first time that a Philippine football club was invited to play in a top regional football competition, probably because the other countries felt that none of our club teams were good enough.

Loyola-Meralco, he said, is the first foreign team to win in this tournament this season.

Led by brothers Phil and James Younghusband, the Sparks advanced to the quarterfinals slated this July, “a sure sign that the team is fast shaping up to be a UFL heavyweight.”

“The win also gives credence to the fledgling Filipino league.”

* * *

At this point, there is one thing that worries Jerry Sison and, as I was to find out later, all the officials of the Loyola Meralco starting from club chair Al Panlilio.

Will midfielder Matthew Hartmann be allowed to play in the Singapore Cup this July?

“On the eve of their Singapore Cup debut, the team was informed that the Philippine Football Federation was disallowing Matthew Hartmann to participate. Hartmann was suspended by the PFF for one year after he had abandoned the national team at the height of the Southeast Asian Games competition in Indonesia,” Panlilio said.

“We were surprised because the Singapore Cup is not a PFF sanctioned event. Singapore league officials said they did not receive any notice from the AFC or the FIFA regarding the Hartmann case.”

While the Sparks prepare for their return to Singapore, a lot of people are hoping that the PFF would reconsider their decision and allow Hartmannn to play.

“It would be such a waste for a talented booter like Hartmann to miss out on a chance to play in the Singapore Cup,” said Al, who is also the president of the MVP Sports Foundation.

27 June 2012

MANILA, Philippines – Global earned a 1-1 draw against the Loyola
Meralco Sparks, just enough to win its first league title in Division I
in the United Football League before a big crowd tonight at the Rizal
Memorial Football Stadium.
Global ended up tied with Kaya after 18 matches with 42 points each
but won due to superior goal difference, 32-13, to finally nail the
title that eluded them last season.
Izzo El Habbib broke through with a header in the 65th minute to give Global the crown.
Korean Il Hyo Kim of the Sparks provided some drama and opened the
door for Kaya to steal the title away from Global when he flicked in a
goal 11 minutes later.
The marginal goal, however, did not come for the Sparks as Global
wasted the remaining time and finally lifted the trophy that it nearly
won last year.
With the pressure to either win or get a draw, Global appeared tight at the onset of the match as Loyola controlled the tempo.
The Sparks' aggressiveness was rewarded when Mark Hartmann scored but
was ruled out when Davide Cortina was caught offside on top of the
second half.
Last season, Global was on its way to a breakthrough league title
after winning the cup until it yielded the trophy to vanquished champion
Philippine Air Force in the end.

Carli de Murga won the Golden Ball award while Phil Younghusband got
away with the Golden Boot award after leading the league with 23 goals
but failed to score in the club's last three matches to fall from the
title race.
Saba Garmaroudi of Kaya won the Golden Gloves award.
Second division champion Pachanga, who will go up in Division I next
season, got the lion's share of individual awards led by former national
team striker Freddie Gonzales, who took home both the Golden Ball and
Golden Boot awards in the second division.
The Sparks ended up third with 37 points.

MATCHES MONDAY (University of Makati)
4 p.m.—Navy vs Green Archers Globe
6 p.m.—Pasargad vs Army
UNRELENTING on attack, Global moved on the brink of clinching the
United Football League title after a 4-0 drubbing of Air Force Phoenix
yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Izzo El-Habbib scored twice for the second straight match, while Alex
Obiang and Patrick Reichelt also found the back of the net for Global,
which reclaimed top spot with 41 points—two ahead of Kaya—with a game
remaining.
Global’s victory also shut the door on the Loyola Meralco Sparks,
whose late season struggles continued with a 2-2 draw against Nomads
Auction Manila Friday night.
Global can seal the title with a win over Loyola on Tuesday or a loss
by Kaya to Stallion. A draw could also be enough for the Dan
Palami-managed Global side even if Kaya wins as the former UFL Cup
champions holds a superior goal difference.
The Sparks, who have dropped five points from their last two matches,
were hoping for a Global loss yesterday, but with El-Habbib in the
groove, they were left disappointed.
El-Habbib doubled the lead with a fine individual in the 24th minute,
before doubling his tally in the 61st minute to make it 3-0 for Global,
which stretched its unbeaten run to 12 games this season.
The only blot to what was a solid performance by Global was the
dismissal of winger Misagh Bahadoran, who was red carded for his
excessive celebration from the bench on El-Habbib’s first goal.
Bahadoran will sit out the match against Loyola due to suspension.
Loyola struggled to control the match in the opening half without
skipper James Younghusband, who was missed the game because of
suspension for incurring three yellow cards this season.
Phil Younghusband almost gave the Sparks the lead early on when his curling shot hit the post.
The Sparks finally broke through courtesy of Mark Hartmann, who made
no mistake from close range after he was set up by a cutback from Phil
Younghusband in the 48th minute.
Nomads quickly responded with a David Denison penalty 10 minutes
later, before Byeong Jyeong Yeol restored the Sparks’ advantage, scoring
off a corner kick. But the Sparks’ inability to put away their chances
came back to haunt them as Steve Borril struck just inside the box in
the 90th minute for the equalizer.

THE PHILIPPINE Azkals could play a maximum of 20 high-level matches
in the next five months before they plunge into action in their next
major tournament late this year.
The Azkals are in for a tough grind in their build-up as they try to
at least match their semifinal finish in the Suzuki Cup Asean Football
Championships in Thailand and Malaysia.
Already calendared for the Azkals are three matches in the United States on Aug. 10 to 15.
Azkals manager Dan Palami said they are trying to squeeze in one more
match, possibly against a country belonging to the Confederation of
North, Central America and the Caribbean Football Federation.
Friendly matches in September are also being lined up, before the
Azkals host a four-nation tournament involving Chinese-Taipei, Hong Kong
and Macau in Bacolod in October.
Camps in Bahrain and Japan as well as two friendly matches in
November are also being planned for the Azkals, who won against Guam,
3-0, last week after draws against Malaysia and Indonesia.
“We want as many matches as possible to develop a strong team,” said Azkals coach Michael Weiss.
The Azkals renewed their partnership with carmaker Kia on Thursday.
Palami welcomed the deal, saying the squad is “happy” to be affiliated
with a prestigious brand.
“We feel that the team brings us the prestige that backs up our brand,” said Kia marketing services manager Boying Soriano. Cedelf P. Tupas

The Philippine Football Federation (PFF) has tapped Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City as site for its planned hosting of the four-nation Long Teng Cu bootfest featuring Phl, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei and Macau.

PFF president Nonong Araneta said instead of holding it Manila, they have decided to bring the Long Teng to Bacolod as the City of Smiles is more feasible in terms of financial requirements.

Additionally, he said the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium's scheduled conversion into an artificial turf beginning next month may not be finished in time for the tourney, which the PFF targets to stage from Oct. 3-7.

"We are already communicating with Chinese Taipei, Macau and Hong Kong that if we'll host the Long Teng Cup, we'll hold it in Bacolod. If they're okay with it, then we'll go ahead (with the Cup) in Bacolod," said Araneta.

He said the hosting in Panaad, largely considered the birthplace of the Azkals, is estimated to cost P5-6 million, inclusive of food and accommodation of the delegates plus match officials, and logistical requirements such as security.

This amount, he explained, is substantially lower than the estimate if the tourney were to be staged in Manila.

"If we hold it in Manila, we'll reach P9 million, which includes P2-million plus on security alone. People in Bacolod said they can do the security at about P300,000 to P400,000 so we'll have substantial savings already on that item," said Araneta, who's confident to get sponsors for the event.

Another factor that swayed it to the side of Panaad is the availability of Rizal Memorial.

"We're not sure if constructions in Rizal will be finished by that time so I told the three (nations) that we'll do it in Bacolod. We're waiting for their approval because when they initially asked us to host, they mentioned Manila. But if they're willing to go to Bacolod, then it's a go," said Araneta.
The Long Teng Cup, or whatever the name the PFF will eventually use for the meet, should serve as one of the final build-up for the Azkals before they do battle in the AFF Suzuki Cup in late November.
"Hopefully, the Long Teng Cup this will be a good preparation for our actual team that will play in the Suzuki Cup," said Araneta.
The Azkals placed second to Hong Kong last year in the single-round-robin format Long Teng Cup in Kaoshiung, a one-spot improvement from their third place finish in the inaugural edition in 2010, also in Kaoshiung.

GIVEN the talent at their disposal, the Philippine Azkals could have easily come away with two wins and a draw in their three recent international friendly matches against separate foes, according to German coach Michael Weiss.
“We wanted seven points (six points from two wins, one point for a draw) and should have gotten it if not for concentration lapses defensively in the Indonesia game,” said Weiss, referring to the 2-all draw against the Indons last June 5 at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. “That, we have to work on.”
The Filipino booters drew with Malaysia 1-1 last June 1 in Kuala Lumpur and closed out their series of international friendlies last June 12 with an Independence Day drubbing of Guam 3-0 at the Panaad Sports Complex pitch in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.
For the first time, except for Fil-German midfielder Stefan Schrock, Weiss had European-based players like Fil-Danish defenders Jerry Lucena and Dennis Cagara, Fil-Dutch midfielder Paul Mulders and Fil-German striker Denis Wolf bolstering the squad.
He also had the luxury of playing two solid goalkeepers, with Fil-Brit Neil Etheridge alternating with Fil-German Roland Mueller, who both played 45 minutes each in the deadlock against Indonesia.
“Overall, I want to thank the Philippine Football Federation and national team manager Dan Palami for organizing these three matches and having all these players together, which is important when you want to build a strong team,” he said.
The German mentor, who took over as Azkals coach in January 2011, noted the deeper bench has enhanced the playing style of the Filipino booters “who have come more into ball possession and active approach to the game rather than solely focusing on defensive style of play.
“But we still have to find the right balance between the two styles,” he stressed.
Among the players who aw action in the friendlies, Weiss said he was banking on three to four of the Europe-based players to be available for the Suzuki Cup, the Southeast Asian men’s football championships, in November.
But he declined to identify the players he expects to boost the Azkals, who emerged as surprise semifinalists in November 2010, ushering in a local football revival that sees no sign of waning nearly two years since it began.
Weiss has released the players to their respective clubs, including those seeing action in the local United Football League.
He said the Azkals will regroup in August to kick off their Suzuki Cup build-up starting with their US training camp on Aug. 8 to 25.

17 June 2012

PHILIPPINE Football Federation (PFF) President Mariano Araneta said the Philippine Azkals would play in three to four friendly matches in the United States in August as part of their preparation for the Suzuki Cup.

“The 15-day training camp and the friendly matches are good opportunities for our team because it will make them tougher,” Araneta told The Manila Times on Friday. “Suzuki Cup is the most competitive league in Southeast Asia so we need to prepare seriously.”

The Azkals are looking forward to possible friendly matches against the Chicago Fire and US Virgin Islands. Team manager Dan Palami is the one who arranged the 15-day training camp in the US.

Araneta also revealed that the Philippines’ hosting of the Long Teng Cup some time in September or October would depend on whether Macau and Taiwan would skip the hosting of the four-country football tournament.

“We are still waiting for the final confirmation from Macau and Taiwan but I’m sure we’re the one that will host it because they have decided to skip the hosting,” said Araneta, adding that the 2012 Long Teng Cup would most likely be held at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod.

Phil Younghusband unleashed five goals to power Loyola Meralco Sparks FC passed a listless Navy Red Juice FC, 10-1, and back into First Division title-contention in the United Football League yesterday at the Rizal Memorial pitch.
Younghusband, who was instrumental in the Azkals’ 3-0 bashing of Guam at the Panaad pitch in Bacolod City a few days back, sparked the ghastly rout by scoring five of his team’s first six goals that proved enough to give the Sparks a share of second with idle Global FC with 35 points on 11 wins, two draws and two losses.
Kaya FC leads the league with 36 points, 11 wins and three draws against a setback but only has two matches to go against three each by Global and Loyola.
The lopsided performance ended almost exactly the same way Loyola annihilated Navy, 14-0, in their first meeting last Feb. 19 at the University of Makati field where the popular Younghusband also scored five goals.
Younghusband now has a whopping 23 goals, an impressive 12 shots clear of elder brother James’ 11.
Another Fil-Brit Mark Hartmann ended up with a brace while Alex Camara and Koreans Park Min Ho and Kim Hyo Il accounted for the other goals of Loyola.
Navy’s Rolly Perez prevented his team from suffering further humiliation by scoring late in regulation on a penalty goal off a yellow by Loyola goalkeeper Rolando Cabaniero.
The Navymen remained at the bottom with four points on a 1-1-14 (win-draw-loss) record and should finish last in the 10-team division and the possibility of being relegated to the second division.

United Football League squad Stallion Giligan’s handed the Guam national men’s national football team its third defeat in the Philippines after notching a 3-1 victory in a friendly match Saturday night at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
After leading 1-0 at halftime courtesy of forward Jovanie Simpron’s goal, Stallion waxed hot in the second half sparked by goals from Lee Joo Young and Park Bo Bae to grab a comfortable 3-0 cushion.
Guam salvaged a goal late in the match, but it was not enough to overcome Stallions, which currently sits at the fourth place in the UFL Division One standings.
The loss caps the Matao’s week-long training tour in the country in preparation for the East Asian Football Championships in July.
Guam yielded all of its matches, losing to the Azkals last Tuesday, 3-0, and UFL title contenders Global, 5-3, last Thursday.

CEBU, Philippines - The Little Azkals will leave for Japan today for the Japan-East Asean Football Exchange Program U-14 Youth Football Festival in Osaka.

From 22 players who saw action in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-14 Festival of Football held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, only 18 got tickets to Japan as specified in the tournament rules.

Named into the final lineup for the week-long event are Cebuano booters Lawrence Colina, Major Dean Ebarle, Kintaro Miyagi, Vincent Erik Lovitos and the Italy-based Lorenzo Genco.

The other members of the team include Christian Floren Lapas and Jose Anton Yared of Dumaguete, Mason Trent Vergara of San Carlos City, Marco Alessandro Casambre, Harrel Rainier Dayan, Josh Albert Miller, Ray Vincent Sanciangco and John William Abraham of Manila, Darius Joseph Diamante and Javier Romero-Salas of Davao, Jeremiah Borlongan and Dimitri Lionel Limbo of Cagayan de Oro City and Sebastian Rafael Patangan of Dipolog

The 18 youngsters were chosen based on their overall performance from the training camp in Italy up to last week's tournament in Malaysia.

Freeman

A total of six countries hosts Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei will be competing at the newly built national training centre, J-Green Sakai.

The competition will be held in a league match system with each participating team having five matches.

The games will be contested in 25-minute halves with no extra time nor penalty shootouts.Brunei Times

14 June 2012

Friday, June 15, 2012
THE Philippine U13 girls' team suffered another tough loss at the hands of Myanmar, 0-1, in their game Wednesday of the ongoing Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U13 Girls' Tournament at the Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
With the loss, the country's girl booters dropped to the fifth spot with three points coming from its lone win over Cambodia in the opener.

Thailand occupied the top spot with 12 points while Guam placed second with nine points. Vietnam and Myanmar were currently tied for the third and fourth spots with identical six point. Cambodia has yet to enter the winning column.
The PH squad was still playing Thailand as off presstime. (RPSA)

MANILA, Philippines - As the Azkals kicked off their build-up for the AFF Suzuki Cup with recent friendlies against Malaysia, Indonesia and Guam, the Philippine Football Federation and team management are going the extra mile to put up a highly prepared, full-strength side to ASEAN’s premier competition in November.
PFF president Nonong Araneta said the federation is prepared to spend for training camps abroad and even for compensation for the European clubs to release their Fil-foreign players to the national team.
“We’re prepared to put up the best team – at whatever cost,” said Araneta, intimating their plans for the Suzuki Cup, where Phl is bent on trying to duplicate or surpass their breakthrough semifinal stint in 2010.
Being a competition that’s not part of the Fifa calendar’s so-called international match days, the PFF and team officials led by manager Dan Palami have to double their efforts to convince the clubs to allow the concerned high-caliber booters to suit up for Phl XI.
“If we make proper representations with their clubs, I think we can (have the players released). We should convince them that if the players will just be sitting on the bench during those time, it would be better for them to release their players and we hope (they will act favorably on our request),” Araneta said.
“If we can compensate for their services, then we’ll do the costing and talk to the clubs,” he added.
The Azkals, though, are also preparing for the possibility that the Europe-based players won’t be around.
“Our intention is for all of the players to be available for the Suzuki Cup. But on one hand, I have instructed the coach to work on the worst-case scenario – that the Europeans might not be available. So the key now is to have more locally-based players in the team and practice as often as we can,” said Palami.
Training camps in neighboring countries like Thailand and Hong Kong and matches against clubs there are being eyed for the Phl-based players in the Azkals pool.
“The locally-based players who might not get exposure in playing against the A team of other countries will get their time, helping them achieve confidence, and the team cohesion and match fitness that we would need prior to the Suzuki Cup. Of course, if and when the European players come, then that would be an added bonus for us,” said Palami.
The last edition of the Suzuki Cup in 2010 served as stepping stone for the Azkals, who shocked the world with a 2-0 upset of then defending champion Vietnam and eventually made the Last 4. From there, the Azkals continued their rise, copping a bronze medal in the AFC Challenge Cup last March.
“We’re already number 3 in Southeast Asia (in terms of world ranking) so we would at least be considered a contender. But I’m sure the other teams are preparing as hard and we should not be sitting on our laurel after our third place finish in the Challenge Cup,” said Palami.

“In fact, we should work hard because this time, when we go to the Suzuki Cup, unlike the last time, we come in as a favorite rather than underdog and they would play differently against us now,” he added.

Global FC clawed back from a huge deficit to snatch a 5-3 victory over the Guam national men’s football team in a friendly match Thursday night at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

The Matao looked poised to steamroll over the United Football League title contenders after grabbing a 2-1 lead at halftime. They came out roaring in the second half as Zachary Tomas Deville fired a goal in the 47th minute to widen their gap, 3-1.

But Ange Guisso sparked Global to a fiery rally after hitting a goal in the 50th minute. Azkal member Misagh Bahadoran then dished an assist to Carli De Murga in the 65th minute to tie the match at 3-all.

Izo Elhabbib completed the comeback after hitting the net in the 87th minute to finally give Global the lead. Mohammad Ghasemi also scored in the 92nd minute to seal the victory.

An interesting substitution happened in the middle of the match for Global, as De Murga took over the goalkeeping duties after Angel Guirado replaced goalkeeper Jerome Etoundi on the field.

Surprisingly, De Murga, who scored his first international goal with the Azkals against Guam last Tuesday, played excellent as a goalkeeper, keeping a clean sheet for his stint.

Guam is in the country for their week-long training camp in preparation for the East Asian Football Championships in July. They are coming off a 3-0 defeat against the Azkals Tuesday at the Panaad Stadium in Bacolod City.

The Matao will also face Stallion Giligan’s FC on June 16 also at the Rizal Stadium.

Thursday, June 14, 2012
OUTGOING Cebu Football Association President Richard Montayre stands firm that no turnover will happen unless the new board is recognized by the Philippine Football Federation (PFF).
PFF suspended the recognition of the new set of officers because an election-related protest was filed against the new officers, led by president Ricky Dakay. The PFF did not name the complainant and PFF president Mariano Araneta said he doesn’t know who filed the complaint.

Montayre said that there can be no official board for Cebu until they receive the blessings from the PFF and hence he can’t turn over control of the CFA.
This was a departure from his earlier statement to Sun.Star Cebu a month after the election when he said he was willing to have the turnover done as long as the right procedures were followed and the former CFA board members were present.
But he said, his decision to put on hold the turnover to the new board was prompted by his conviction to do the right thing.
“If you want to do the turnover right, it should be to the set of officers already accepted by the PFF,” said Montayre.
The matter is now to be resolved by the membership and legal committee who are expected to give out the decision this week per instructions from the PFF President Mariano Araneta. Delay
However, incoming CFA secretary general Joey Herrera questioned the former board’saction of delaying the turnover.
“If they are not the one protesting, why are they not doing the turnover with us? Mao ra na ako question this time which means that they know there was a protest or worse, they are the ones protesting,” said Herrera.
Montayre and the rest of the former board had denied that they filed the protest before PFF.
Herrera already e-mailed the former board that they are willing to accept whatever they will turn over--balls, flags, training equipments, financial and accomplishment reports, board resolutions and pending projects.
“Does it make sense? They were quoted naman nga naghuwat ra sila namo nga mudawat unya I e-mailed them sa ila account and to the former secretary-general’s personal account pud, wala man ni-reply,” said Herrera.
Last May 12, former CFA secretary general Bro. Mari Aberasturi said, “I still have to wait until Richard’s arrival but the materials and books were already prepared and ready for turnover.”
The CFA elections was held last March 31.

13 June 2012

CEBU Queen City’s first stint in the United Football League will result to a third-place finish in Division 2 for the league’s non-Manila based team.

Considering the logistical nightmare it has to go through weekly, it’s not bad for a team of part-time footballers based in the Queen City of the South.

Take for example that 4-4 draw they had against Union International last May 12, which came just a few weeks after beating the same team, 4-1, in the first round.

The flight delay meant Queen City had less than an hour to prepare and have lunch before kickoff and after 22 minutes, the team was down, 2-0. Queen City fought back to 3-2 but trailed anew, 4-3, before Junard Aguilar got the equalizer three minutes from time.

Now that’s character.

What’s the plan for next year? It’s No. 1 of course and the team will be open to hiring foreign players.

“We have already proven that Cebu is a hotbed for football,” team owner Ricky Dakay told me the other day.

This year’s stint was also to give a chance to our locals to play in the UFL and next year’s stint would be to show that Cebu has more to offer.

And Ricky, whose company it seems has constructed half the buildings in Cebu, sure can afford new players. He can afford, too, giving his young guys a scholarships.

“I’ve always encouraged them to finish their studies because once their career is over, they’ll have a fallback,” said Ricky, who has given many local players a job in his company.

Raffy Musni, the team manager who has become some sort of a father figure of the players, said he monitors the grade of their student-players and he bragged to the team when one of them began to do well in school.

And Ricky’s willing to pay for their studies in any school, though the University of San Carlos alum would prefer if they study at his alma mater. And because Cesafi has archaic rules when it comes to player transfers, this is not so the Queen City guys can play for USC, this is so the Queen City players can have a quality education.

Where can you find a club that cares that much?

Only in Cebu.

And next year, when they return to Division 2, they will be aiming for the top.

PHILIPPINE Football Federation president Mariano “Nonong” Araneta already advised the committees in charge to decide this week on the the election-related protestquestioning the selection of the new Cebu Football Association board.

PFF forwarded the matter to its membership and legal committee for decision but until now, there has been no word from them. This is prolonging CFA’s wait as holds the recognition of the new officers.

Sun. Star Cebu had tried to contact Atty. Edwin Gastanes from the legal committee but he could not be reached for comment.

Araneta, who had just returned from a trip abroad, also said he doesn’t know the person who filed the protest. He added that while it was an official protest that they need to act on, he thinks it could have been settled in the FA level.

Araneta said that what happened should not set a precedent in future complain ts. He believed that the issue should be first settled in local football associations before it goes to the PFF.

“They should first have made the protest doon sa mga nanalo na officers,” he said.

Even if there was a representative from the PFF through lawyer Gastanes in the elections held last March, he emphasized that the lawyer acted only as an observer of the elections.

Araneta added that PFF cannot act on the matter unless the local FA exhausted efforts in amending the issue.

He believes the problem on the CFA elections should have been resolved internally.